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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Murder in Belgravia (A Mayfair 100 Murder Mystery #1) in Books

Oct 5, 2020

This is a historical fiction mystery novel that takes place in England during the era of the Great War (WWII). As some of my readers know, I’ve been looking for good mystery books that will compare to those of the late, great Agatha Christie. Find out if “Murder in Belgravia,” Lynn Brittany’s first book in the Mayfair 100 Mystery Novels succeeded in filling the void that Christie left in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/03/24/these-books-may-fare-well/

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The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Lady Clementine in Books

Oct 5, 2020

Some women prefer to stay behind the scenes to help the men they marry achieve greatness. Others put themselves at their husband's side, and sometimes even move to the center stage in their own right. You will find out which kind of woman Clementine Churchill was in the biographical, historical, women's fiction novel “Lady Clementine” by Marie Benedict, and my #bookreview of this recently released book on my blog here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/01/10/more-daring-than-darling/

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The Rebels (The Kent Family Chronicles Book 2)

John Jakes

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A patriot soldier in the ragtag Continental army, Philip Kent defies the rule of the British crown,...

Historical Fiction

Threads: A Depression Era Tale

Charlotte Whitney

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It's a boring, hardscrabble life for three sisters growing up on a Michigan farm during the throes...

Historical Fiction Women's Lit Book Club Lit

David McK (3623 KP) rated Stormchild in Books

Oct 19, 2025

As an author, Bernard Cornwell is probably better known for writing historical fiction: the Sharpe series (set during the Napoleonic Wars), say, or the Uhtred of Bebbanburg series (in and around the time of Alfred the Great).

What is not so well, known, however, are his more contemporaneous 'Sailing thrillers'.

Of which there are currently five (Wildtrack, Sea Lord, Crackdown, Stormchild and Scoundrel)
with this being the fourth published in that, totally unconnected to each other, series and also coincidentally the fourth I read (I've yet to read Crackdown).

In this one, published during the early 1990s, Cornwell's hero of the novel is a man who, following the death of his wife in an explosion at sea (itself following the death of his son in a bombing in Northern Ireland) is trying to track down his long-lost daughter, who was last seen sailing away from him to join a cult of what-proves-to-be extremist environmentalist.

Bold choice.

Making the environmentalists the baddies.

To be clear, they're portrayed here - or, at least, the (fictional) cult that she has joined - more as extremists than environmentalists.

Like I suspect many others, I found this to be an enjoyable enough read but not up to the standards of his Cornwell's usual historical fiction works. Which the man himself acknowledges on his own website: "I enjoyed writing the thrillers, but suspect I am happier writing historical novels ..."

Kudos

ClareR (5991 KP) rated The Heroines in Books

Oct 29, 2023

The Heroines

Laura Shepperson | 2023 | Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Greek mythology is pretty much an insta-buy and read for me. I’m drawn to historical fiction anyway, and the Greek myths have always felt like an extension of that for me. That’s probably also why I’m especially attracted to the type of Greek myths that are so popular at the moment. I suppose it could be referred to more as Greek historical fiction rather than myth. The Gods and Goddesses have been taken out of the equation (inasmuch as Christian figures are in other historical fiction novels - they’re spoken of, but they don’t have a leading role), and the mortals are left to make their own life choices - even if they still like to blame it on the Gods.

Laura Shepperson gives voice to the women in the myths, and we see the story of Theseus and Phaedra from Phaedra’s point of view. There’s also a chorus of women who are suffering under the mistreatment of the men in Theseus’ palace. Servants and slave women had to do as they were told. The struggle for the women against this patriarchal system is at times violent, and the women rarely come out of it well.

There were a lot of characters in this, and I wonder if all of them were necessary. I’ll be honest, and it could be down to the good ole peri-meno brain, I did get a little confused at all the characters, but it didn’t spoil the story!

I enjoyed this quick read (ok, I didn’t put it down!). It gave me enjoyment for a couple of days - and that’s what reading is all about really, isn’t it!